The Swift Current Broncos went Cougar hunting.
They added overage forward Carlin Dezainde from the Prince George Cougars today in a deal for 19-year-old forward Van Eger, a 2nd round 2025 WHL prospects draft pick and a 2027 4th round pick.
Prince George also sent a 2025 9th round pick to the Broncos as a part of the deal.
Dezainde has 10 points in 7 games this season. He has scored 41 goals and 61 assists in 194 WHL games.
"I just like his compete," said Broncos GM Chad Leslie. "I like his pace and I like the consistency of the viewings every night. He plays to his identity, and I think he's had success the last couple of years because of it. It was important just to have that guy that brings it every night and is a really good role model for our young players. He doesn't take a night off. He's a leadership guy. So he checked a lot of boxes for us."
The Cougars were forced to make a move with their overage players after the Los Angeles Kings returned Koehn Ziemmer to the WHL club after NHL training camp.
“Dez (Dezainde) has turned himself into a real good WHL player that could help any team,” said Cougars GM & Head Coach Mark Lamb in their media release. “It is not a trade we wanted to make but with Ziemmer coming back, the business part of the game comes into play.”
Dezainde didn't start his career as a top scorer. He went undrafted out of U15 hockey and was never a point per game player outside of a brief run in CSSHL U18 Prep league at 16.
That success got the Calgary product called up to the Medicine Hat Tigers where he spent part of his 16 and 17-year-old seasons. The Tigers sent him to a building Cougars program midway through his sophomore season where he has consistently moved up the lineup.
Last season Dezainde scored 25 goals and 31 assists in 51 games, blooming into a top six forward on a very strong Prince George squad.
"I think it stems from him playing the right way," Leslie said. "He's consistent, he's honest, he plays with pace (and) gives teams center lane and drive presence because he's always playing the right way. He's always getting to the net. I think he gets rewarded for the fact that he plays an honest 200-foot game every night.
"He does have offensive upside. He can score, he can create, but it stems from him having pace and being able to separate a little bit to give himself a little more time and space to shoot. He's coming into his own for sure as a player."
Swift Current liked that Dezainde is coming from a program in Prince George that has had some success in recent seasons. The Cougars reached the final four in the 2024 WHL Playoffs and DeZainde had 6 points in 15 games during that run.
"The experience that (Carlin) had the last couple of seasons will benefit our room," Leslie said. "They've got a great staff up there with Mark Lamb and Jimmy Playfair. You know that they're going to be coached the right way and the habits that they bring are going to be the habits that our guys are being taught right now and it's going to be beneficial for our young guys again to be around that player."
Leslie noted they were focused on using their open overage slot for a forward after having to move on from veterans Mat Ward and Connor Hvidston due to trade requests. It also helps to add Dezainde as the Broncos will be missing veteran Rylan Gould week-to-week with an injury sustained against Brandon.
"They definitely have very similar attributes in regard to the compete level and the intensity and the work ethic for sure," Leslie said. "It'll be nice when we're healthy and have everybody in, but certainly it's going to be nice to have Carlin in the lineup whenever he can get in."
It isn't yet clear when Dezainde will arrive in Swift Current and start playing.
"I'm really excited to bring Carlin into our team," said Broncos head coach Taras McEwan. "I think he fits in well with our identity. He will help our top six group and mix into how we want to play really well."
Eger played in 72 games with the Broncos, scoring three goals and seven assists. Swift Current's 2020 4th round draft pick is pointless in two games this season.
"Van's a great person," Leslie noted. "We wish him all the best. He deserves an opportunity up there and I think the opportunity that might present himself to him up there is going to be one that suits his game. He plays with a little bit of pace and competes, and just has to be a hard nose, bottom six player that keeps things simple. If he can do that, I think he'll find some success there in a role with the team that's loaded up front."
By using their open overage spot on a forward, the Broncos are moving forward with an inexperienced blue line.
"You're always looking to get better," Leslie said. "But I believe in our young (defensive) corp. I think they could be a staple for us for years to come. They've proven that they can handle it. It's a long season."
The Broncos still have to make a couple moves before Thursday's roster deadline. Leslie said they are working through those final decisions.
Swift Current has won three in a row as they prepare to host Hvidston's new team from Calgary tomorrow.